Anyone Been Doing the Conealed Weapons Permit Classes...

[MagnumDweeb]

...and have horror stories.

Did a class this morning and extra folks showed up. Now mind you these students were ones that my assistant took care of getting for me. My assistant is a man in his early sixties, who uses an empty store place for the classes and I give him $20 a studnet, it's really just a hobby for him to entertain himself and pay for his shooting. He's also a Viet Nam vet and retired Marine.

I have policy that if someone has already taken one of the local courses they are free to audit the lecture for free. If they want the NRA materials (Books absent the certificate and exam) that is sixteen bucks. If they want to learn to shoot than I throw in the materials and charge a flat $50 and cover 50rds of .22lr in a SA revolver or Ruger MK III. Granted if they haven't taken any previous courses it is $60 but I like to think I provide one stop shopping given the later free lessons in personal instruction on the students personal firearm.

Well don't ya know, I had eight students this morning who had taken a previous course, some the usual Gun Show customers, but now I've been noticing more and more folks from local gun shops. One that I think poorly of, I have seen almost twenty of their students now.

And here's the worst part, they've all got little horror stories. Ego driven instructors all bent about being in the military at one time (but never a war vet) and have been in law enforcement (yet younger than forty, which says something in most cases), or the usual 'K' license instructors(those guys who talk about being the instructors who train law enforcement, whether it's true or not I can't tell)....What happened to being a down to earth person, congenial yet appropriately serious, nurturing yet disciplined. For cripes sake I get little old ladies from the Red Hat Society who seem to have a ball shooting .22lr pistols, I just wonder how these gus would act around them.

Oh and the best, all these guys claiming to be top competitors but when I look up their names they don't show up anywhere. Most anyone can show up to an IDPA match or what and take part, but that doesn't mean you place anywhere significant. And I've seen two of these so called competitors at the range shooting six inch groupings with quality firearms at seven yards:banghead:come the heck on, I shoot better than that one-handed with a SBH 7.5" .44 Magnum in my weak hand.

I get students telling me how when they asked for basic instruction and help they got badgered by these guys and insulted, or just told to do 'X' repeatedly and nothing else(which doesn't help, some horses can be trained straight with a saddle, others need a crop).

On our instructor credentials it says that we as instructors represent how folks view and perceive the firearm using community, if you come off like a <expletive deleted> or some all too serious dweeb, it hurts gunowners.

Anyone else got some horror stories with instructors being overzealous, full of it, or just plain rude.

 

[Templar223]

Rather than talk about disappointments with other instructors over the years, I'd think it more constructive and beneficial to discuss some instructors we've been impressed with and looked up to and have learned from...

James Haggearty is one for me. He hails from the suburbs of Chicago and trains mostly cops and occasionally some military-types. And kids... he gives a lot of his time and money to teaching youngsters the fun of shooting pistols and rifles and introducing them to competitive shooting. I kind of inherited the pistol line from him at an NRA Youth Shooting Camp (and he's a perfectionist and I considered it an honor) while he works with either the extremely young with introducing them to their first shots with a real gun or the very talented to see about recruiting them for the Junior Shooter team he's active with.

He's always got tips and tricks to help make me a better shooter as well.

Part of the fun of teaching with others is stealing what they know and their techniques.

Sorry for the hijack, but just trying to keep things positive and upbeat instead of dwelling on the shortcomings of some.

John

 

[Hungry Seagull]

I think I will say thank you for the thoughts of the student quality, but I would prefer to think about and praise my instructor for the things he did right and my fellow students for not being... nutcases. I would hope that everyone did well and no one ever has to use the learning.

If I had a instructor who was... loud and .... what is the word... militant in his or her focus to pound into a class a extreme position unrelated to actually learning the coursework, I would have walked out and found another class.

 

[Tiomoid]

I saw a so called "Shooting Expert" training a new shooter at my range a few weeks back. He spent most of his time yelling and belittling an obviously rookie shooter who just spent a hundred bucks on "proffessional" lessons. I felt horrible for the trainee and had trouble not telling the trainer off when he offered to give his card to anyone interested.

 

[Superlite27]

Rather than talk about disappointments with other instructors over the years, I'd think it more constructive and beneficial to discuss some instructors we've been impressed with and looked up to and have learned from...

+1

Bad instructors are probably a dime/dozen. The universal sign seems to be the ones who dictate "Here's how you have to do (such and such)." While pointing out some ungainly and obviously uncomfortable carry method. I like the idea of promoting the good ones.

 

[Pat-inCO]

And here's the worst part, they've all got little horror stories.

Then you preface the session with "Please hold any comments about instructors that are not here, or that you have had problems with, until after the class has completed. Anyone that can not do that, please leave - NOW."

Bad instructors are not your problem, unless they are teaching the same class you are.

 

[SMMAssociates]

'Bout five years ago now, and the kid's quit the PD, but my class was taught by a very young Officer from a local PD. (His aunt runs the place.)

VERY GOOD guy.... Lots of useful stuff, no BS, no silliness. Worst thing that happened was a guy with a P-38 who seemed to only be able to hit the floor in front of the targets.... Matt got him straightened out.

(I said "kid" earlier. The gun I brought was only a few years younger than he was. I bought it new in the late 60's.... I'm not sure when his folks bought him ....)

Straight NRA course plus the extra stuff that Ohio requires. Other than card table chairs that were rock-hard (and not a lot of fun - it's ten hours of classroom time!), a non-problem.

I've been carrying since 1967, but no longer Commissioned. Had to get a CHL in 2004 because of the "Affirmative Defense" going away. They wouldn't take my OPOTA certificate. 1968 was too old.... ("OPOTA" is OH's "Police Academy". Back then everybody took the same course - 120 hours. Rentals, like myself, no longer need most of that. At the time, the "school" setup was about the same as the CHL program - a state-mandated cirriculum and textbook, and state-certified instructors. Our class used a meeting room at what was the Power Company's offices.)

Here in OH, we've run into some bad instructors. Some just didn't really support the CHL program itself, but were making money teaching people good ways to get arrested. Others just didn't seem to have the current version of the current law to work with. Some things were changed in the law while the course materials were being set up, and some online sources missed those. At least one guy was using Airsoft guns, too....

Regards,